Claudia Padovesi-Fonseca

• Biodiversity Journal, 6 (4): 805-816

  Claudia Padovesi-Fonseca, Maria Júlia Martins-Silva & Carolina Teixeira Puppin-Gonçalves
  Cerrado’s areas as a reference analysis for aquatic conservation in Brazil

  ABSTRACT
  The Cerrado is recognized as a relevant hotspot, being biologically the richest one in the world, with a significant degree of endemism. The central region of Cerrado Domain is considered the “water cradle” of Brazil, with important springs from South American watersheds. Human activities caused several impacts on drainage-basins, as water pollution and silting of running waters, affecting riparian and aquatic biota. The aquatic biodiversity of this region is yet poorly known, despite studies on terrestrial fauna and flora showed an estimate of 160 thousand species. In this review, the aquatic biodiversity of the Cerrado Domain was evaluated on literature survey from 2004 to 2012. Data obtained until now are sparse and focused in some few organism groups, and the aquatic species richness is estimated to 9,580 species. At least 22.8% of fish species in Brazil are expected to occur in Cerrado, as well as 25.2% of bivalve mollusks, and 41.9% of the diatom algae. The endemism is relevant for some groups, reaching 25% for fishes and more than 10% for bivalves and diatoms. Based on the potential of environmental heterogeneity of the aquatic systems located in high and protected areas, their permanent preservation has been a challenge for shelter of endemic and endangered species, revealing a huge genetic patrimony, as grounded by this study for the Cerrado Domain in central Brazil.

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